Association of COMT rs4680 Genotype With Chronic Neuropathic Pain Experience in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease.

Purpose: The pain experience of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) frequently consists of episodes of acute exacerbation. However, recent studies suggest that many patients who suffer from SCD have symptoms of chronic neuropathic pain. Additional research is needed to determine what role genotype plays in the patient's pain phenotype experience in SCD.

Communion supports dignity for older adults with serious cancer: Quantitative findings from dignity therapy intervention.

Objectives: Patient dignity is a key concern during end-of-life care. Dignity Therapy is a person-centered intervention that has been found to support patient dignity interviews focused on narrating patients' life stories and legacies. However, mechanisms that may affect utility of the Dignity Therapy have been little studied.

Challenges in assessing the effects of environmental governance systems on conservation outcomes.

Effective governance is crucial for the success of conservation projects aimed at protecting wildlife populations and supporting human well-being. However, few large-scale, comprehensive syntheses have been conducted on the effects of different environmental governance types on conservation outcomes (i.e.

Small molecular weight epigenetic inhibitors modulate the extracellular matrix during pancreatic acinar ductal metaplasia.

The pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor microenvironment is distinguished by a high degree of fibrosis and inflammation, known as desmoplasia. Desmoplasia increases the stromal deposition and extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness observed in the tumor microenvironment, contributing to the dampened penetration of pharmacological agents. The molecular and biophysical composition of the ECM during the earliest cellular changes in the development of PDAC, i.

Barriers and Facilitators to Integrating Acupuncture into the U.S. Health Care System: A Scoping Review.

Acupuncture is a widely practiced complementary and integrative health modality that has multiple clinical applications. The use of acupuncture in the United States is rapidly increasing. Although studies have shown the efficacy and effectiveness of acupuncture for various ailments, the integration of acupuncture into the U.

Medication Engagement, Determinants of Health, and A1C Levels Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes within a Tribal Health System.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between determinants of health, medication engagement, and A1C levels in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) receiving Tribal health and pharmacy services.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 2020-2021 electronic health record data was conducted and included adult patients with T2DM using Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority prescribed ≥1 noninsulin glucose-lowering medication in 2020, had ≥1 A1C value in 2020 and 2021, and had a valid zip code in 2021. Patients receiving both insulin and other noninsulin glucose-lowering medication were included.

John Henryism-racial stressors among older black men with low back pain.

The relationship between adaptive pain-coping skills, such as John Henryism, and pain and function remains unclear in non-Hispanic Black populations. This cross-sectional, observational study included sixty older Black men with low back pain in Jacksonville, Florida. Key measures were: self-reported 0-10 pain intensity in the past 24 h, 13-item pain catastrophizing, functional performance from the Back Performance Scale, and the John Henryism Active Coping Scale.

Voices of Black men: reflecting on prostate cancer survivorship care plans.

Purpose: This study addresses the critical issue of survivorship care for Black prostate cancer survivors. The aim was to explore their awareness of survivorship care plans to improve prostate cancer care and survivorship within this high-risk group.

Methods: Utilizing a thematic analysis approach, we conducted in-depth interviews focused on analyzing post-treatment experiences of Black prostate cancer survivors by applying interpretive explanations to data collected from participants.

Factors and topics associated with empathic self-disclosure in dignity therapy of cancer patients.

Objective: During Dignity Therapy a trained provider guides a patient to share their life story and legacy. Providers can demonstrate empathy through empathic self-disclosure (ESD), sharing something substantial and personal about themselves in response to the patient. The current study aims to identify the topics of ESDs and determine whether ESD frequency varied by patient and/or provider characteristics.

Promise of Composite Pain Index as a single pain outcome for sickle cell disease across the lifespan.

Background: This study aimed to validate a Composite Pain Index (CPI) as a single pain outcome measure for sickle cell disease (SCD) across the lifespan from 8 years of age.

Procedure: This prospective, cross-sectional study included 55 participants with SCD who completed the PAINReportIt tool and Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool (APPT) in random order during outpatient visits to derive respective CPI scores for comparison.

Results: Of the 55 participants with SCD, 46 (84%) had HgbSS, eight (15%) HgbSC, and one (2%) HgbSβ0.

Mentoring Minority Cancer Researchers of Tomorrow: Comparison of the Face-to-Face, Virtual, and Hybrid Training Methods of the CaRE Summer Cancer Research Education and Training Program.

In our previous publication, we reported a framework to develop an undergraduate cancer research training program at Florida A&M University (FAMU) under the umbrella of the Florida-California Cancer Research, Education, and Engagement (CaRE) Health Equity Center activity by harnessing the resources available at FAMU, the University of Florida (UF), and the University of Southern California (USC) Cancer Centers. The implementation of the CaRE face-to-face training platform was dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during the summer of 2020 and 2021 training periods. However, a concerted effort was made to restructure the face-to-face training model into virtual and hybrid training methods to maintain the continuity of the program during the pandemic.

Social network analysis of the CaRE health equity center: Team science in full display.

Cancer health disparities that exist in the Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino/x communities are scientific challenges, yet there are limited team science approaches to mitigate these challenges. This article's purpose is to evaluate the team science collaborations of the National Institutes of Health-funded Florida-California Cancer Research, Education & Engagement (CaRE ) Center partnership underscoring the inclusion of multidisciplinary team members and future under-represented minority (URM) cancer researchers. To understand our collaborative efforts, we conducted a social network analysis (SNA) of the CaRE Center partnership among University of Florida, Florida A&M University, and University of Southern California with data collected via the dimensions.

Adherence to a reproductive health intervention for young adults with sickle cell.

Background: The CHOICES intervention is tailored specifically for young adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) or sickle cell trait (SCT). The face-to-face (F2F) delivery format is feasible with efficacy for improving knowledge about reproductive health for those with SCD or SCT.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare the participant adherence to a remote online CHOICES intervention study ( N = 107) and a F2F CHOICES intervention study ( N = 234).

Examining Moderation of Dignity Therapy Effects by Symptom Burden or Religious/Spiritual Struggles.

Context: Dignity therapy (DT) is a well-researched psychotherapeutic intervention but it remains unclear whether symptom burden or religious/spiritual (R/S) struggles moderate DT outcomes.

Objective: To explore the effects of symptom burden and R/S struggles on DT outcomes.

Methods: This analysis was the secondary aim of a randomized controlled trial that employed a stepped-wedge design and included 579 participants with cancer, recruited from six sites across the United States.

CHOICES for sickle cell reproductive health: A protocol of a randomized preconception intervention model for a single gene disorder.

Our long-term goal is to foster genetically informed reproductive health knowledge and behaviors among young adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) or sickle cell trait (SCT) with a web-based, tailored, multimedia intervention called CHOICES. CHOICES is designed to help young adults with SCD or SCT preconception to gain knowledge of genetic inheritance, specify their reproductive health intentions (their parenting plan), and engage in reproductive health behaviors concordant with their parenting plan. In a previous study, we found high acceptability of both the e-Book (usual care control) and CHOICES interventions.

Unraveling Racial Disparities in Supportive Care Medication Use among End-of-Life Pancreatic Cancer Patients: Focus on Pain Management and Psychiatric Therapies.

Background: Supportive care medication use differences may contribute to racial disparities observed in health-related quality of life in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Methods: In this observation study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database, we sought to examine supportive care medication use disparities in patients with pancreatic cancer from 2005 to 2017 by race and ethnicity.

Results: Among 74,309 patients included in the final analysis, racial and ethnic disparities in the use of supportive care medications were identified.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms and sickle cell disease-related pain: a systematic review.

Background: Scientists have speculated genetic variants may contribute to an individual's unique pain experience. Although research exists regarding the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms and sickle cell disease-related pain, this literature has not been synthesized to help inform future precision health research for sickle cell disease-related pain. Our primary aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the current state of scientific literature regarding single nucleotide polymorphisms and their association with sickle cell disease-related pain.

Feasibility of Nurse-led Development of Custom Virtual Reality Experiences for Health Care Interventions.

Background: The immersive and interactive nature of virtual reality (VR) renders it a potential pedagogical approach for nursing education. A bottleneck for exploiting VR advantages has been the complexity of creating new experiences; however, recent advances with VR hardware and software enable novice users to create compelling experiences.

Method: A case study describes an undergraduate nursing student with minimal technical skills using off-the-shelf VR software to create a pain management VR experience.

An alcohol dehydrogenase 7 gene polymorphism associates with both acute and chronic pain in sickle cell disease.

As the most distressing complication of sickle cell disease (SCD), pain is marked by considerable heterogenicity. In this study we explored the potential association of alcohol dehydrogenase 7 gene () polymorphism rs971074 with sickle cell pain. We analyzed clinical phenotypes and the rs971074 single-nucleotide polymorphism in by MassARRAY-iPlex analysis in a cohort of SCD patients.

Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE) Health Equity Center: Structure, Innovations, and Initial Outcomes.

Introduction: The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education, and Engagement (CaRE) Health Equity Center is a triad partnership committed to increasing institutional capacity for cancer disparity research, the diversity of the cancer workforce, and community empowerment. This article provides an overview of the structure, process innovations, and initial outcomes from the first 4 years of the CaRE triad partnership.

Methods: CaRE serves diverse populations in Florida and California using a "molecule to the community and back" model.

Engaging Mortality: Effective Implementation of Dignity Therapy.

Patients consider the life review intervention, Dignity Therapy (DT), beneficial to themselves and their families. However, DT has inconsistent effects on symptoms and lacks evidence of effects on spiritual/existential outcomes. To compare usual outpatient palliative care and chaplain-led or nurse-led DT for effects on a quality-of-life outcome, dignity impact.

Florida-California Cancer Health Equity Center (CaRE) Community Scientist Research Advocacy Program.

The Community Scientist Program (CSP), a model connecting researchers with community members, is effective to inform and involve the general population in health-related clinical research. Given the existing cancer disparities among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations, more models describing how cancer-related CSPs are designed, implemented, and evaluated are needed. The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE) Health Equity Center is a tri-institutional, bicoastal center created to eliminate cancer health disparities among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations living in California and in Florida.

Cognitive Testing of PAIN Report It-Spanish in Monolingual Hispanic Adults.

Background: A Spanish language computerized tool would facilitate cancer pain assessment and management for the underserved population of native Spanish speakers who do not speak or lack command of the English language.

Objective: Our aim was to identify Spanish-speaking adults' understanding and interpretation of the PAIN Report It-Spanish items and instructions as well as translation and technical issues.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 20 mostly monolingual Spanish-speaking adults engaged in 1.